The US already lags far behind China and Europe, but we're going too fast, dealers say.
  • CorganaEnglish
    0•1 year ago

    The closest chargers are at least 50 km away in other towns

    Most people would never use a charger only 50km to their homes, since they charge it overnight at home. Most EV owners only use public chargers a handful of times a year, actually.

      • @spongebue@lemmy.worldEnglish
        9•1 year ago

        People think of chargers like they do gas stations - you want it close by so you can fill up conveniently (and without wasting what you just filled up on to get home after). But with EVs, you typically plug in at home and have a full charge every day, meaning you don’t need a nearby charger. Better to have some a hundred-something miles away so you can use it on road trips, which is really what DCFC is for.

        That is, of course, in an ideal world. Plenty of urban areas have DCFC partly because of people from out of town passing through, but mostly for people who can’t charge at home for whatever reason (ancient wiring, apartment living)

        The earlier commenter unfortunately has neither home charging nor DCFC readily available, so that’s a problem. Maybe they can get by on level 1 (normal 120V outlet) but not everyone can.

        • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
          5•1 year ago

          I think stuff like this is why dealers are having trouble selling them. With ICE cars the only question is “do you have a parking space big enough for it.” But with EVs it’s “Do you have enough amperage in your service? Do you have 240V lines available in your breaker box? Do you have a way to get the electricity to where you park?”

          As EVs get more prevalent these will work themselves out, but switching to electric has more caveats than sticking to gas.

          • @spongebue@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3•1 year ago

            The questions aren’t totally invalid, but they are overblown. Virtually every house in the US has 240V (sometimes 208, but cars can handle that too) available - they generally just need a second adjacent slot. Technology Connections (YouTube channel) has a great video explaining it. The wiring is the same, even. Service amperage is easy to work around, especially with one reasonably-priced option that pauses charging if your whole-house is about to trip (unlikely if you charge overnight, but this works with code)

            Yes, it’s easy to stick with what you know. And I’ll admit I have a gas car too, but it rarely gets used. But I have to say, it sure is nice to have a quiet car that’s fun to drive and never needs to go to the gas station.

            • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
              2•1 year ago

              I think a good start would be to have all car dealers watch a few Technology Connections videos. The Biden administration should pay him to do a Super Bowl commercial or something. He’s just great.

              But these are all questions that require you to go home and look at your fuse box, or hire an electrician to verify that you have what you need. Or do some research.

              Now, I love doing a ton of research before I buy a car. But most people don’t need or want to know a hubcap from a head gasket, and the added of complexity of “this needs to connect to your house” is a hurdle that ICE cars don’t have, and will be a growing pain for EVs.

          • @BitSound@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1•1 year ago

            Those questions really don’t need to be asked. I charge off of a regular outlet, level 2 charging at home is nice but unnecessary. If those questions keep coming up, it’s likely from dealers that are fearmongering.

      • @Optimaxion@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        7•1 year ago

        Charging off a standard wall plug is perfectly adequate for most people. I never leave my house without out a full battery and I’m just plugged into a standard 110 outlet

      • @spongebue@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1•1 year ago

        Because you plugged it home every night prior. Even on a normal outlet, 10 hours of charging can give you 40 miles (about 65km) per day. That’s over 14,000 miles (22,500km) per year. And I’d hazard a guess that most people are usually home more than 10 hours a day, especially on the weekends. And that’s for a barebones level 1 setup. When you go into the world of 240 volts you at least double your power, and can easily go from 0-100 in 6 hours or less with a fairly common 40A setup.

        So why would you need a charger nearby?